


The Fatherhood Files

by AuroraNova



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Adoption, F/M, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 01:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18110645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova
Summary: “Did you mean it when you said I’d make a great father?”





	The Fatherhood Files

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still letting go of the Private Universe series, so you could absolutely read this as set therein, but it stands alone perfectly well.

Getting his son to sleep exhausted Miles. Yoshi was going through an anti-bedtime phase, and it couldn’t end soon enough. After forty-five minutes, three glasses of water, four trips to the bathroom, and two sweeps of his room for monsters, the boy was finally sound asleep.

That accomplished, and did it ever feel like an accomplishment, Miles stopped in the living room to check his messages. He found one from Julian.

_Hello Miles,_

_I find myself in need of advice, so I’m planning to comm tomorrow at 1900 San Francisco time. Please confirm availability at your earliest convenience._

He replied that he’d be home. A comm was new and not to be missed. Civilian access to subspace communications was low on Cardassia’s priority list, so the last time they had a live conversation was when Julian went to DS9 for Ezri’s zhian’tara, close to seven months ago. It’d be nice if they could talk regularly.

Neither of them wanted to lose touch, even if they planned to spend the rest of their lives on different planets. (And wasn’t it just like Julian to settle down in the last place Miles wanted to visit? Last Miles checked, he was still a convicted criminal on Cardassia.) Since subspace comms weren’t an option, they sent each other letters. Julian wrote good ones. Miles… well, he wrote. It wasn’t a personal strong suit, but he tried.

The following evening, he got an incoming comm at 1900 exactly, from an unknown sender on Cardassia Prime. It took a moment for the connection to stabilize, and then Julian’s face popped up, breaking into a grin.

“It’s good to see you,” said Julian.

“You too. Everything okay?”

“Oh, yes. We got a six percent increase in our energy rations this week, so everyone is in high spirits. How’re you?”

“Can’t complain. Being home in the evening doesn’t get old.” Spending time with his family meant everything to Miles, and he was grateful for an assignment that allowed it.

“Keiko and the kids are well?”

“They’re great, though Yoshi thinks bedtime is to be avoided as long as humanly possible. Molly started tap dancing lessons and Keiko’s thrilled with her new greenhouse.”

“Has Molly worn her down about a friend for Chester yet?”

“Not likely,” said Miles. Keiko tolerated one cat, but she’d put her foot down at the idea of another. “Do you have subspace comms now?”

“Not at home. I traded some tea for access to the system I’m using, and I had to hook up to our solar generator, which the owner of this computer now covets.”

Considering how much Julian loved his tea, this was no small sacrifice. Miles made a mental note to send more. Julian appreciated any care packages which came his way, though he always swore he didn’t need anything except medical supplies.

“So what’s this advice?” asked Miles.

Julian leaned and spoke quietly. “Did you mean it when you said I’d make a great father?”

“Course I did.” This was a new development, not even hinted at in a single letter. “I take it you’re reconsidering the idea.”

“There’s a girl,” said Julian. “Her name’s Lutila, she’s twelve years old and has been on her own for weeks, since her older cousin died. The two of them survived by themselves since the Dominion assault, and while the official policy of neglect towards orphans has changed, practical results are lagging behind.”

“Twelve, huh? You’d skip the monsters under the bed stage. How’d you meet her?”

“She’s a playmate of a neighbor girl who happens to be a physical therapy patient of mine. Lutila had an infected puncture wound, but she was afraid to go to the hospital.”

“Why?”

“They’d send her to one of the new orphanages. Apparently she heard rumors of staff stealing the rations intended for their charges. Elim’s looking into it.”

Garak as a protector of children. That was a new mental picture.

“Anyway, my young patient convinced Lutila to see me privately, and it’s a very good thing she did. I was able to save her arm where most doctors would’ve decided an orphan wasn’t worth the effort or resources.”

It was getting harder not to judge Cardassians, even though he tried. “And she’s been sleeping on your couch ever since,” finished Miles.

“Well, yes. It’s that obvious?”

“You did call to ask if I think you’d make a good father.”

“Right,” said Julian.

“Which I do.” Garak’s aptitude for parenthood was another question altogether, but Julian hadn’t asked, so Miles kept his mouth shut on the point.

“Even to a traumatized twelve-year-old?”

“Look, nobody’s a perfect parent. We all doubt ourselves going in. That’s normal, and so is messing up sometimes, but you don’t have to be perfect to be a good father.”

Julian sighed. He wasn’t usually unsure of himself, and it was kind of weird to see. “I’m terrified of going in with the best of intentions and giving her more problems.”

“More problems? The girl’s been living on the street without an adult in the universe who cares about her.”

“Caring doesn’t mean I’m qualified.”

Miles could think of plenty of people he thought unfit to be parents. Julian wasn’t on the list. “You don’t have to raise her, but if you want to, you’ll be fantastic.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

There was another factor to consider. “What does Garak think about Lutila?”

“He shared his last bottle of rokassa juice with her, which isn’t something he’d have done for just anyone.”

That could only mean one thing. “You haven’t mentioned adopting her, have you?”

“No,” admitted Julian.

“Usually, the first person you talk to about adopting is your spouse. Or is that not how they do it on Cardassia?”

“Cardassians only adopt family members, so there’s no precedent, and I need to know I can do this before I broach the subject with Elim. She’s… I can’t explain it. I’ve had other young patients, other orphans, and I haven’t wanted to take them all home and protect them from the cruel universe.”

Miles smiled. “Sounds like you’ve already started on fatherhood.”

Julian’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

At this point, Miles figured the adoption was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

* * *

 

Three days later, he got a letter from Julian.

_Miles,_

_We filed the paperwork to become Lutila’s guardians today. Elim and I had a long talk; he shares your confidence in my ability to be a good father, though he’s not as sure about himself._

Neither was Miles, but then he thought about how fiercely protective Garak was of Julian, and admitted that trait, at least, was a good sign.

_He’s very good with her, though, and already attached. As I write, he’s teaching her to play kotra and it’s quite touching to watch. I can’t stop looking over at them. It’s all happened very fast, but this feels right._

Julian never did anything in half measures.

_A photo will be forthcoming as soon as I can get Lutila to pose for one. Thank you again for your insights. I’m no longer convinced I’m going to do her irreparable emotional harm, and I already love her more than you’d think possible after so short a time. I fear you’ll be receiving an excess of proud anecdotes featuring Lutila while I adjust to fatherhood._

_Cheers,_

_Julian_

Miles figured Lutila was the luckiest orphan on Cardassia. Then, smiling, he went off to get his own kids ready for the beach.


End file.
